Please, Remember Me
by StillDreaming85
Summary: Set after Breaking Dawn. Everything is as it should be as the Cullens get prepared to celebrate Renesmee's 18th birthday, but things go dramatically wrong when Bella doesn't return from her shopping trip and Alice can no longer see her future.
1. Chapter 1 – Together

**HI, I am currently seeking a beta to work with me on this story. I only plan to update it once every 2-3 weeks. My main focus will still be on My Dark Secret. I would really like to find a beta before I continue to post more of this story. Thanks for reading. x**

Chapter One – Together

BPOV

I laughed, pushing myself as fast as I could go as I raced against Edward through the trees towards our meadow. I loved running and the sense of weightlessness it gave me. At times I almost felt like I was flying. Since becoming a vampire, Edward had eased up on me, he didn't treat me like I was made of glass. He could just be himself around me now. It had given our relationship a whole new air of freedom. We were both unbreakable, there was nothing we couldn't do.

A breeze brushed past me as Edward jumped through the trees to my right. He was playing dirty, trying to beat me. Two could play that game. I quickly pulled off my cream sweater and dropped it to the ground. _Edward_, I called with my thoughts, once I had removed my shield. He came to a halt, turning to look at me. I unhooked my bra, tossing it at him. He was dazed. I took the opportunity, pushing myself harder, determined to get there before him.

I came to a stop at the meadows edge with a satisfied smile on my face, one that soon faded as my eyes took in the changes I was unprepared to see. Most of the flowers had died; the leaves had changed colour and were starting to fall. Autumn was here. It had once been a season I had liked, but not this year. Too much was changing already. The one thing I wanted to remain constant was our meadow. I needed for our flowers to bloom.

One change I found hard to accept was our daughter's birthday, tomorrow she would be eighteen years old. If she had led a normal human life then she would legally be coming of age. Edward and I both knew we would have little hold over her now. He seemed to be dealing with it better than I, or maybe he was just trying to be strong for me. Edward had told me that Nessie was planning on moving away with Jacob, for some time together. I guess it wasn't easy living with eight vampires. We had tried our best to make things as easy as possible for the both of them. Edward and I had given up our cottage to them in the hopes that it would give them more space, though Edward had refused to give it to them until they were married. This year was to be their second wedding anniversary.

I can't believe that eighteen years have already passed. It seemed like only yesterday that Nessie was born and I had been turned. She had now matured into woman, and I was no longer a newborn over run with my instincts. So much had changed, and was about to change. The time to move away from Forks had come. We were going relocate somewhere else and get back to our normal way of life. Living in Forks had been hard these past years. We had to work so hard no not being seen, which meant we only went out at night. Charlie or Jacob to took care of things for us during the days. Jacob had done so much for our family, it had been so easy for everyone to accept him as part of us now. It saddened me to think that Ness and Jake wont be joining us. Nothing had been firmly set; our family couldn't agree on a location and arguments still went on. I figured that where ever Carlisle got the best placement would be where we would live, and that would settle the argument eventually, so I kept out of it. I wasn't in a hurry to leave Forks, all my memories were here, but we had already stayed here much longer than was safe. Each minute we remained here we risked exposure.

I turned to see Edward standing by my side with my bra and top in his hand. His face was full of concern. "Bella?"

"I was just thinking... about Renesmee and about leaving this place."

"Bella," he groaned, pulling me into his arms. "Nessie hasn't told us she's leaving. I regret even telling you what I heard. She might choose not to go, but if she won't leave us forever..." He kissed my forehead. Edward was too calm about the idea of his daughter leaving, it was out of character. Maybe Alice had seen something, but then why wouldn't he have shared it with me? I would have to ask her when we returned home.

"...and...we'll find a new meadow wherever we go."

"I like this one," I grumbled.

He put his free hand under my chin and pulled my face to meet his eyes. "We'll find a new meadow, one more beautiful than this..."

"No meadow could match this one." I snapped at him, annoyed that he thought we could replace our meadow.

"Bella, if I have to search for days to find the perfect meadow for you then I will. If I have to plant each flower myself then I will. If I have to move hundred-year-old trees around so the meadow is just how you want it... then I will." I laughed at his jest, but my heart swooned at his words. He would do whatever it took. I knew that. That was why I loved him.

He took my hand and pulled me out into the middle of the meadow. The last of the daylight glistened off our skin, making us sparkle. I looked at him, amazed by the beauty I saw before me. I never got tired of him. His touch still excited me like it had the first time. I was truly grateful to be given the gift of spending eternity with the man I loved.

"Do you remember you're topless?" Edward asked as a mischievous smile spread across his face. I look down to see my bare breasts shimmer in the light.

"Of course. It was all part of my plan." I had forgotten, but could use it to my advantage.

"Plan?"

"Yes." I pushed him onto the ground, kneeling over him. "My plan to make love to you." I slowly crawled up his body, stopping at his chest as I covered him in soft, tender kisses. I worked my way from his chest to his neck, then his jaw to his wonderful lips. I smothered his lips with mine. My tongue forcing entry into his mouth, licking along his teeth and exploring every inch.

He ran his hands up and down my thighs, grabbing my behind, pulling me closer into him. I trembled under his touch. I looked into his eyes; they were deep pools of black, screaming out with hunger and lust. He slid his hands down to my behind, grabbing me and switching positions so he was now on top.

"Oh, Edward," I whimpered, pulling at his hair with both my hands. I needed him. I wanted him. I moaned as he hitched up my skirt, stopping to place a kiss on my panties. I watched as he gripped them with his teeth, pulling them down slowly, his eyes firmly locked on mine. I moaned with anticipation. My body tingled, calling for him as he kissed his way up my leg. He slid his tongue across my stomach leaving a trail of venom. I tugged at his hair as my body roused in response to his touch. God, I wanted him so bad. "Edward... please. Make love to me."

He made his way up to my neck leaving a trail of kisses. "As you wish," he whispered in my ear.

* * *

I lay running my fingers through his hair as he circled his fingers on my arm. Both of us full of bliss, neither of us wanting to break the moment. I don't know how long we lay there in perfect silence, absorbing the last of a perfect encounter. All I knew was one of us had to break it sooner or later. Edward placed a gentle kiss on my shoulder and then pulled himself on his knees. "We better head home. We only have a few hours left before preparations begin."

"What's the rush?" I asked as I sat up in front of him.

"I have something I want to give you." He smiled as he pulled us both to our feet.

"Something you want to give me?" I quizzed.

"Yes. A gift, for the mother of the birthday girl." I laughed at his attempt to justify the gift. He knew I was struggling to deal with the realization that Ness wasn't a child any more. This gift was more than likely just another one of his ways of trying to help me cope. "Bella?" I turned to see Edward standing fully clothed, looking at me.

"Sorry," I whispered as I picked up my clothes. I quickly dressed then took his hand. "Ready."

We ran through the trees hand in hand with elegance and grace as we headed towards home. Running with Edward made me forget about everything else. For the moment I was free and flying with my love. There was nothing else in the world but us. Everything else simply didn't exist and it was because of that, I knew that if Ness and Jake left then I would be okay. I would learn to cope. I would have Edward.

_Thank you_, I said to him with my thoughts as I lifted my shield.

"What for?" He looked at me confused.

_For always knowing what I need_.

He flashed me one of my favorite smiles, then tossed me onto his back. I wrapped my legs tightly around him as I held my arms up high in the air, like a bird soaring through the sky. Riding on his back had always been one of my favorite things to do, but I enjoyed it so much more now.

When we arrived back at the house there was no one to be heard. We wanted to leave it that way so we quietly sneaked into our room through the window. Alice would be commanding us soon enough. I sat down on the bed, watching Edward as he went into his closet and pulled out a perfectly wrapped package. He walked over and set it down in front of me. He smiled from ear to ear. "For you, my love."

I ran my hand over the blue ribbon as I looked down at the blue flowery paper. It seemed a waste to open it; it was so beautiful on its own. The paper was decorated with single white and blue roses and little singing blue birds. My eyes gazed over the shape and size as I tried to figure out what might lay inside. It was an odd rectangle shape, something in between an A3 and A4. It also felt very heavy. It must have been at least three inches thick.

"Bella?"

"Mmm?"

"Open it please."

I carefully and slowly untied the ribbon, which led to a sigh from Edward. He was growing impatient. I slid my finger underneath the joins of the paper as I tried to pull it open without tearing it. Edward sighed again. I gasped as I opened the paper, inside was a huge photo album, trimmed in ivory silk. On the cover of the album was a large picture of Ness and me. It was taken last year when we went hunting for bears up north with the rest of the family. We were both covered in blood and mud, but smiles were beaming from our faces. The picture spelled happiness; it was one of my favorites.

I looked up at Edward, un-shed tears glistening in my eyes. "Thank you."

"You like it?"

"Of course I do."

He sat down next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as he placed a kiss on my head. "Why don't you open it?"

I nodded my head as I turned the page. Inside the first page was a picture of Nessie just minutes after she was born. She was lying in her Aunt Rose's arms. Her eyes were so wide and aware of what was going on around her as she gazed up at her Aunt, Nessie's left hand on her cheek. I guessed she was asking her about me. Edward had told me that was all she was concerned about after she was born. I turned the next page and it was full of similar pictures, Ness being held with different family members. It wasn't till the tenth page that there was one of Ness and me. The first time I held her. The first time I had met my daughter. I ran my hand along her face. She was so tiny then, though she looked more like a three-month-old baby than a newborn.

I flicked through more pages. Edward had included every important moment. I stopped when I saw a picture of Charlie and Ness. The first time he had met her. I smiled down at the picture. I had never thought that I would be able to share my daughter with Charlie, but he had widely accepted her as his granddaughter with no questions asked. I was so thankful for being able to keep Charlie in my life all these years. He was getting old now; he was turning sixty four this year. I might only get another twenty years with him. Another reason why I wasn't ready to leave Forks.

"We'll visit him, Bella, as often as you like," Edward whispered into my neck.

I turned to him, smiling. "Thank you." I placed a kiss on his cheek. "I would feel worse leaving him if he didn't have Sue. I know at least he will still have Seth and Leah popping in and out of his life, as well as Leah's child, and his grandchildren. I know he won't be alone, but I'll miss him all the same. Soon time will pass, and I won't have the chance to visit him any more... he'll be gone."

Edward closed the book and set it aside, pulling me onto his lap. I rested my head into his chest as soft sobs escaped my throat. "I'm sorry, Bella."

I looked up at him, shaking my head. "No, Edward. None of this is your fault. It's just the way it is. I knew what would happen and what I would lose. It's worth every minute I have of you. I chose this... it's... it's just not that easy to bear."

"I'm sorry you have to hurt like this, Bella, if I could take it away from you I would."

I lay in his arms sobbing as he tried to kiss the pain away, we stayed like that for over an hour, only stopping when there was a knock at the door. I looked to Edward wondering who was there.

"Come in," Edward called.

I watched as Alice skipped into the room, taking a seat beside us on the bed. She pulled my hand into hers. Her face looked sympathetic. "It'll be okay, Bella, Charlie's happy, he understands it's not safe for you here, he wants you to be safe." I nodded at her kind words. "You'll be able to call him whenever you like. He's even going to learn to email, just to keep in touch with you." I laughed at the thought of Charlie sending me emails. "Edward's going to get him a laptop with a webcam. Seth will show him how it works; you'll be able to see each other whenever you want. This will work for you both; you'll both be happy. I promise."

I squeezed her hand. "Thanks, Alice." I was grateful to have a sister like Alice. "Alice?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

I paused for a moment, wondering if I wanted to know the answer to the question I wanted to ask. "Do you see Ness and Jake moving with us?"

Alice looked between Edward and me. "I can see where we're going to move, my vision isn't blocked anymore."

That was answer enough. I sighed looking up at Edward; he looked upset by the news though he was trying to hide it from me. I didn't ask how long we would be apart, I didn't want to know. It would be hard enough to come to terms with the fact they weren't coming with us.

"Bella?" Alice said, lifting my chin. "There's a great little gift in this shop for you and Ness to share, you should get it for her birthday. I know you'll both love it."

She handed me a piece of paper.

_Northwest Diamond Co,_

_113 West St._

_Port Angeles, WA_

"If you leave now you'll arrive there when it opens at nine and be back in time to say 'happy birthday' to Ness when she comes over from the cottage." I looked at Alice, shocked that she was allowing me away from decorating and coordinating. "Really, Bella, I'm not that bad!" Alice glared at me as she got to her feet. "Anyway, I'll have all the boys to boss around. Rose and Esme at least know what they're doing. We'll have it perfect for Ness when she comes over. I'll even have your clothes pressed and waiting for your return." She gave me a quick hug and then skipped out the room.

"Well, you heard what she said," Edward said, pulling us both to a stand.

"Yeah, I better get going." I started getting ready to leave.

"Bella?" Edward laughed.

"Yeah?"

"I think you better have a wash first, love. You're covered in mud."

I went over and looked in the mirror. I was a mess, my hair was sticking up all over the place and I had mud smeared all over my clothes and face. I kissed Edward on the cheek and headed for the shower. The warm water felt soothing on my skin. I often wondered if that was how I felt to Edward when I was human.

I emerged from the shower to find Edward had placed clothes out for me- soft grey leggings, a denim skirt or belt, depending on how you looked at it, and a blue blouse. I quickly slid into them, tied my hair up, and headed down the stairs. I wasn't willing to try and stretch Alice's generosity more than she already had. I knew I would be on a time limit. Everyone was gathered in the living room discussing the decorating and party ahead. I was glad I wasn't staying. Decorating wasn't my area. I walked over to where Edward was sitting and gave him a kiss. "Thanks for placing clothes out for me."

Alice giggled from her seat on Jasper's lap. I figured it was her.

"Love you. Miss you," I whispered in Edward's ear.

"Love you more than life itself," Edward whispered back to me as he pulled me back in for another kiss. I hated leaving him, being apart from him, but I knew it was good for us. When our kiss started to be something more I heard Emmett cough 'get a room'. I pulled back from Edward, resting my head on his for a moment as I caught my breath.

Edward handed me the keys to the new Aston Martin, and I said my goodbyes to everyone as I made my way to the door. I jumped in the car and made my way to Port Angeles, keeping my foot to the pedal. I wanted to keep this trip short as possible.

* * *

EPOV

I watched Bella as she left. I felt a little disheartened to be separated from her when I knew she was still upset, but I knew she would love the friendship necklaces. It would mean a lot to her and Ness in the years to come. Alice had shown me her vision.

"Well, everyone," Alice said as she stood in the center of the room, "We have just under two hours before Renesmee comes over to the house for her birthday breakfast. Esme is on food. Rose is helping me in here. I would like it if you boys decorate the gardens and driveway. Carlisle and Emmett, if you do the back garden. Jasper and Edward, if you will do the driveway, please." She ushered for us all to get up. "Your boxes of decorations and whatever else you'll need are outside waiting for you."

We all got up and filed out the room. No one argued with Alice, we had learned over the years that Alice always got her own way. It was easier this way. I walked with Jasper out to the driveway to find several boxes full of lights. There was also a collection of plants sitting by the boxes. I presumed she wanted us to place them as well. Jasper and I spent the last hour hanging lights on the trees along the driveway. Alice always did this when we had company coming to the house for an occasion. She said it made us easier to find.

We had just finished when Alice came storming out of the house. I was waiting on her to tell us something was out of place when her thoughts caught my attention. She was purposely trying not to think about something. Jasper's thoughts let me know he was worried about her, she was scared.

"Alice, what happened?" I asked, though to be honest I expected it to be something insignificant.

"Edward, I'm sorry. It's my fault. It was my idea that she left!"

"Alice?" Jasper asked, his voice laced with concern.

"It's Bella..." I immediately froze. "One second everything was fine. She was buying the necklaces and heading home... now... I can't see her... she's gone, Edward." Alice was beginning to tremble.

I pulled my phone out and hit the speed dial for her phone number, it rung out. I tried again and then ten times more. There was no answer. My body was stiff with fear. Something wasn't right. Something had happened.


	2. Chapter 2 - Devastation

******Hi, I didn't plan to add this chapter, but I've added it as a thank you to jansails for being a fab reader and reviewer! Enjoy! Sadly, there will be no more of this story till I find a beta. :/**

******Chapter Two – Devastation**

**EPOV**

I left for Port Angeles straight away, fearing the worst for Bella. I struggled to keep my mind under control as images of her broken body lying on the ground flashed before me. I didn't want to admit it, but it was the only reason that I could think of that would explain why Alice could no longer see Bella in her visions.

I turned to look behind me as I felt a hand on my shoulder; Jasper offered me a sympathetic smile from the back seat. I felt him attempt to calm me, but it was of no use, my feelings of guilt and worry far outweighed his waves of calm.

I glanced over at Emmett, wishing he would get us there faster. Alice had insisted I took them both with me, saying I didn't know what I would find. At first I thought that she had seen something she wasn't willing to share with me, but a scan of her mind let me know that she was just as worried as I was.

Emmett hadn't been willing to let me drive, though he knew perfectly well that there was no chance of me making us crash. My mind was too occupied that I didn't bother to argue with him. The only thing I could focus on was Bella, and trying to come up with possible solutions for what had happened to her. So far I couldn't find any I liked.

My phone rang and I flipped it open after the first ring; desperate for some news. "Alice?"

"Edward! I can see her! She's okay..." Alice cried out.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Where is she? How is she?"

"Edward... she's fine... she's at the Jewelry Store, the one I sent her to..." Alice struggled to put the words together. I hated not being able to see what she had seen. I knew that she was hiding something.

"Alice, is she okay?"

_Silence._

"Alice?" I growled, growing impatient.

"She's okay, Edward."

"What is it?" I asked; annoyed with her refusal to share whatever information she had.

"If I told you Edward, you wouldn't believe me..." ___What?_ "Just don't let Jasper go in with you."

The line went dead. I called her straight back, but the phone rang out. _Damn her!_

15 minutes and 47 seconds later we were outside the shop. I paused in front of the door as I looked at my brothers. I was terrified of going in, I didn't know what I would see, but I needed to know that my love was okay. "Jasper, Alice said you shouldn't go..." He nodded to me before I could finish my sentence: ___I'll wait outside and make sure no one enters._

I looked towards Emmett. ___I'll be right behind you, brother._

I turned to face the door again, and took a deep breath. It was time to go in. The scent of fresh blood assaulted me as soon as I opened the door. I held my breath as I walked in, glancing back to make sure Emmett and Jasper were both holding theirs.

The enchanting sound of Bella singing filled the air as I walked into the room.

___The little stars_

___That shine so bright_

___Are Angels come to say _

___Goodnight. _

___Good Night_

___Sleep tight_

___Sweetest dreams_

___We'll send to you, tonight... _

___So if you peek outside and spy_

___A twinkling star in the sky_

___It may...It might_

___Be an Angel _

___Come to say_

___Goodnight_

It was a song we used to sing to Renesmee when she was a baby and it puzzled me why Bella would be singing it now.

As I scanned the room my eyes fell upon the dead bodies scattered around. I now understood what had happened. Bella had slipped; she had let the blood lust take control of her, but why now? ___Bella really went to town. She wasn't happy with just one. Huh?_ I turned to glare at Emmett, who was just a few feet behind me.

"Why don't you wait outside," I snapped at him. He looked at me hesitantly. He didn't want to leave me alone, but he didn't want to argue with me either. He stood there debating for a few seconds over where he should go. I sighed with relief when he finally chose to leave. He meant well, but I was glad that I wouldn't have to deal with his inappropriate thoughts, not when I had Bella to help.

I drew my attention back to the scene in front of me as Bella's singing continued to fill the air. There were four bodies scattered about the room. The first was a brunette who looked to be in her mid-twenties. She was slumped on the floor by the counter. Her face bore an expression of pain.

The second was an older man in his early sixties. His body was lying on the counter. His blood had spilled from a larger gash in his neck; it had spread over the surface of the counter and onto the floor.

The third body was a woman in her mid-forties. Her body lay in the doorway behind the counter. I figured her and the old man had worked here since they both wore similar clothing. The other two must have been customers, like Bella.

The last body was curled into the corner near the door. It was a man in his mid-twenties. He had been the last to die. I could tell from the position of his body and the expression on his face, it was one I knew only too well. He had seen the others die and he knew she was coming for him next.

Having a closer look at the bodies, I could see the younger woman had given herself a paper cut, but I still didn't understand why something so small had set Bella off, not when she had always been so strong.

I made my way behind the counter and through the doorway; following the sound of Bella's voice. The back room was smaller than I expected for such a lavish shop. There was a cooker and work surface to the right. In the opposite corner there was a small round table and two chairs. In the middle of the back wall were two doors, one of them had to lead outside to an alley? I made a mental note to tell Emmett to bring the car round the back; it would be easier for us to leave through there.

My eyes darted around the room until I found Bella. She was sitting down on the floor, hidden slightly behind the table. I gasped at seeing a small child in her arms; a little girl. She had to be about four years old. She had deep chestnut hair, which sat in small ringlets that curled down to her shoulders. Her eyes were deep green, a perfect match to what mine had been when I was human. She wore a blue summer dress, which was decorated in white daises. Her outfit was finished off with frilly white socks that matched with her white paten shoes. She was beautiful; a picture of pure innocence. She reminded me so much of what Ness had been like as a child, what Bella would have been like at her age.

Bella sat with the girl in her knee, rocking her back and forth. Bella's eyes were closed as she sang Nessie's lullaby. The little girl lay there watching me, no sign of fear as she let my love soothe her. They looked totally at peace, like mother and daughter. To see them here like that they looked like they were a million miles away from the scene in the next room.

I cautiously made my way towards Bella. I didn't want to disturb her, but I knew we had to leave here soon. "Bella?" I whispered.

Bella's eyes snapped open. A growl erupted from her chest as she jumped onto her feet, taking a couched position, protectively shoving the child behind her. "Mine," she snarled.

"Bella, it's me... Edward. It's okay love. You're okay." I said taking a cautious step towards her. My hand still stretched out, yearning for her touch.

___Mine!_ I heard her hiss at me again, only this time it was in her mind. I could hear her. I paused for a moment scanning her mind for anything that told me she knew who I was. Her mind was more or less silent, which would explain why I hadn't notice her shield was down before. Her only thoughts were now of me and what danger I placed towards her and the girl. There was nothing that told me she knew who I was.

"Bella?" I asked, looking for her to acknowledge her name. There was no response.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, making all three of us jump. I slowly pulled it out, already knowing who it would be. "Alice?" I whispered, taking a few steps back, trying to show I meant no harm to either of them.

"Edward, I'm sorry. She doesn't know who you are. If you make the wrong move you'll only end up making her run."

"What happened? How long is she going to be like this?" I asked.

"Edward, I don't know. I only saw what you saw when you entered the shop. I can't tell how long it will last..." I didn't answer. My eyes were fixed on the beautiful creature in front of me, who was staring back at me like I was a threat to her, like I could ever harm a hair on her head. "Rosalie is on her way for the girl. I think she's important... The boys will want to kill her, you can't let them. I don't know how she fits into all of this, but I have a feeling... You can't let them kill her. Do you understand?" She asked; her voice growing stern.

My eyes shifted to the girl. I could see her small face peeking from behind Bella. She didn't seem at all frightened, just curious. She should have been terrified out of her mind, it didn't make sense. Had she met our kind before?

"Edward?" My sister yelled, snapping my attention back to her.

"Yes. Yes I understand."

Alice had been right; the boys had wanted to kill the girl the moment they had found out about her. They said that she knew too much about our kind. She could not be allowed to live. Luckily Rosalie hadn't taken long to arrive and had immediately taken charge of the child. Emmett had seen her with the girl and how she mothered her. He could not bear to deny her what she wanted so much out of life. Jasper had realized he was out numbered and gave up.

It had been difficult to get the girl away from Bella. We couldn't risk a fight. I didn't want Bella or the girl hurt. My presence, as well as my brothers, seemed to agitate her. In the end I left Rose alone with them in the room, showing to Bella that she meant them no harm to them, that she just wanted to take care of the girl.

Bella had slowly let Rose closer to them. When she was close enough she grabbed the girl and fled out the back door, into the alley. Emmett and I had been there to stop Bella leaving and going after her.

Emmett had guarded Bella while Jasper and I covered the shop in petrol. We soaked the bodies so they would burn to a crisp, leaving little for evidence when the police tried to find the cause of death. We started several fires, wanting the shop to burn quickly and then we left.

Bella was more placid without the child to protect and we didn't need to use much force to get her to come with us. She almost seemed out of it. I was anxious to get back to Carlisle; I wanted him to check her over.

When we had pulled up in the drive, Alice had come running out to let us know that Carlisle was in the cottage waiting for us, and that Nessie knew that there was something wrong. She and Jacob were doing their best to keep everything from Ness until I had a chance to speak to her and explain everything.

I now stood outside of the cottage waiting on Carlisle's verdict. He had insisted that I wait outside with my brothers as we were causing Bella stress with our presence. She was upset, almost frightened, the opposite of the vampire I had met in the shop.

I struggled to focus on Carlisle's thoughts as he did the best he could to keep me out. I only managed to catch brief glimpses when he was too distracted to keep his guard up. None of his thoughts made sense. He finally emerged from the cottage after a few hours. He put his hands up to my brothers signalling there was no need to go inside to guard her. "She's resting. She won't go anywhere."

They however still felt there was a need to guard and went into the cottage, leaving me alone with Carlisle. I stepped towards him, desperate to know what he thought.

"Edward," he began. "I'm not exactly sure how to put this into words, so please allow me time to try and explain before you run off." I nodded. "I will need to do some tests, of course, to get a better idea of what has happened... The best way I can think to try and explain it, is that it's like someone has hit the reset switch in Bella's mind. It's like someone with amnesia. She can talk and function, but she can't remember anything else. As well as that, she seems to have regressed into a childlike state. It's like she is trying to hide within herself, from the world, like she has been traumatized. Alice explained to me what she was like when you found her. How protective she was of the girl...since being separated from her, she seems to have dramatically deteriorated."

"You think that this has something to do with the child?" I asked, confused.

"I'm not sure. Alice seems to think that the child is significant. I find it interesting that she lost control, yet managed not to kill the girl. We've always known that Bella had great control for a newborn, but when she started killing she shouldn't have been able to stop."

"The child had a likeness to Nessie," I stated as I tried to get my mind around it all.

"Perhaps that was the reason she couldn't kill her," Carlisle pondered.

"How long will she be like this?" I asked the one question I was scared to know the answer too.

"I'm sorry, Edward, I don't know. Perhaps after some tests I will be more able to answer that question," Carlisle said, lowering his head. His mind told me he was just trying to soothe me, he didn't believe we would ever be able to tell.

I took a step back from him. I held my arms around my stomach like I had just been punched. I had no idea what this meant. What was going to happen? Would Bella ever remember me? Would she ever love me again? To lose Bella like this would be worse than death. What if she didn't want to know me? Would she ever be the Bella I knew again?

I had to get away from here. I needed time to think. I looked up at Carlisle, he was standing watching me. ___Edward, let's go back to the house._ He thought as he took a step towards me. I shook my head. No. I had to leave.

I turned and ran as fast as I could, paying no attention to where I was going. I didn't care where I ended up. It just had to be far enough away from here. I wasn't ready to face reality. I wasn't ready to lose Bella.


End file.
